Organic Baby Blog – News & Tips on Organic Parenting

Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby

December 27th, 2010

Once milk alone no longer satisfies your baby you will need to start introducing solid foods into her diet. The recommended age for this is six months, but if your baby seems ready for solids before this you should talk to your health provider or doctor. Your baby will let you know she is still hungry by wanting more after the feed is finished, or she may start chewing her fists. A baby may also begin to demand feeds more often and if she normally sleeps through the night, she may start waking up early wanting to be fed.

Breast and formula milk give babies all they require for the first six months so you don’t have to worry if your baby seems satisfied with milk alone until this age. By six months of age, your baby needs the additional nourishment provided by solids, and she also needs to learn how to eat.

How to Start

First solids are really just tasters to get a baby used to different textures and flavors; the main nourishment will still come from breast or formula milk. The first food should be bland and smooth, like baby rice mixed with either cooled boiled water, or formula or breast milk. To begin with offer a small amount on the tip of a clean spoon, midway through a feed, once a day. Once your baby has accepted this, you can introduce a small amount of fruit or vegetable puree, for example, banana, potato, or carrot (with no added salt or sugar), mixed with formula or breast milk.

As soon as your baby has got used to taking solids off a spoon, you can begin to introduce new foods and other solids at a second meal. If your baby obviously doesn’t like the taste of something don’t force matters. Try another food and reintroduce the rejected food at a later stage. At first the baby will simply try to suck anything off the spoon. But it won’t take long to master getting the food off the spoon and into the back of her mouth. Once your baby can do this she will be able to cope with lumpier textures, so you can begin to mash rather than puree food. Your baby will also be able to enjoy a wider variety of tastes and textures.

Advanced feeding At around eight months, you can introduce food combinations such as baby cereal and fruit, or egg yolk and tomato — remember to remove the seeds from the tomato and to cook the egg thoroughly. Food can be lumpier and more solid so that it encourages your baby to start chewing. Try mincing or mashing the food with a fork.

At nine months and over, your baby is likely to be on three meals a day as well as milk, unsweetened diluted fruit juice, or water. Giving your child food at grown-up meal-times will encourage her to learn social skills by watching others. As her appetite grows you can gradually increase the amount given at each meal. Offer finger foods such as slices or peeled apple, and banana; this will encourage her to feed herself Always stay with your child while she is eating in case of choking.

As with younger babies, don’t force unwanted foods; your child may simply not be ready for that particular taste. Don’t ever fight over it. Take the food away, but don’t offer alternatives or provide snacks between meals or let the child fill up on drinks, especially non-nourishing drinks, such as squash.

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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

December 25th, 2010

From our family to yours…

Breastfeeding with Santa

Tags: breastfeeding, holidays, humor
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Six Month Old Baby Development

November 27th, 2010

Your child is beginning to show a greater interest in what is going on around him. He will turn his head quickly to familiar voices and will examine things that interest him for longer periods. If your baby hasn’t started on solids yet, now is the time to introduce them.

Baby Takes Control

Your baby is rapidly becoming more mobile and will probably be able to pull himself into the sitting position if both hands are held. When lying on his stomach, he may find that kicking will push him along, usually backwards at first. If he becomes frustrated because he can’t get to where he wants to go, don’t be too eager to help him: encourage him by placing a toy just out of reach, or by placing your hands against his feet so that when he kicks he has something to push against. If you pick him up and place him where he wants to go lie will not learn how to achieve this tor himself.

Your baby’s ability to reach and grasp is becoming more accurate and you can help him improve these skills by passing objects in such a way that he has to reach up or down or to the side for them. Toys strung across his cot or playpen will allow him to practise using these skills. Your baby will hold objects in the palm of his hands, and will be able to pass them from one hand to the other. You can encourage him by giving him two toys simultaneously, one in each hand, so that he has to reach out with both hands. If you offer him a rattle, shake it to make a noise as you hand it to him; he will reach for it immediately and then shake it deliberately to make the same noise.

Visually your baby is keenly aware of everything that is going on around him and will move his head and eyes eagerly in every direction to which his attention is attracted. He will follow what you are doing, even if you are busy on the other side of the room. His eyes should now move in unison. It your child appears to have a squint (with an eye turned inwards or outwards all the time) you should discuss this with your doctor who may suggest that he sees an eye specialist.

Your child is now very chatty and will vocalize tunefully both to himself and others in a singsong manner using vowel sounds and single and double syllables such as a-a, adah and er-leh. He laughs, chuckles, and squeals with delight when playing and will express anger or annoyance with loud screams.

Intelligence

Assessing a child’s IQ (intelligence quotient) when he is very young is difficult, and the motor development tests that can be used to evaluate IQ in the first year do not usually correlate well with a child’s IQ later on. It is recognized that intelligence can be influenced by many factors, including stimulation, health and diet, and social aspects such as poverty. Even trauma can play a part. At this stage in your child’s development you can encourage his physical, social, and intellectual growth by raising him in a stimulat-ing environment and spending as much time as you can playing, reading, and talking to him.

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Why A Baby Gift Registry Works So Well

November 26th, 2010

It may seem odd to create a list of gift items for a planned shower, but as women go through a baby shower they begin to realize the importance of one. A baby gift registry can come from a variety of places and stores. They can be created by one person or more and have the option of making guests and parents lives much easier. If there is going to be a baby shower, then a registry should be next on the list.

During a woman’s pregnancy she may have several different baby showers. These showers could be held by; friends, family, workers and neighbors. With so many different opportunities for baby events, it may be helpful to have a registry for gifts. That way everyone knows what exactly to buy and what is the most needed.

Most showers will be hosted by one person or a small group of people. Food and punch is typically served, and the food may have a baby theme to it. A cake welcoming the baby and congratulating the parents is usually served and may have been ordered from a bakery. Decorations are placed around the home of the shower and games are played to help entertain guests and the expectant mom.

A host will typically put on a shower for the pregnant woman. The home or hall will be decorated with baby shower type decorations. Party food and drinks will be served that all have a baby theme to them. A cake will congratulate the expectant mom and gifts and presents will be presented to her at some point during the party.

Sometimes guests can get confused about what items to purchase and what particular brands to buy. With so many baby things to buy and too many brands to list, it can get overwhelming for anyone shopping. That is when lists come in handy. A shopper simply goes to the store, prints off the list and begins the shopping.

There are a few different places that registries can be found. Parents of the baby can find a registry at a toy store or department location. A store will hand the parents a list of possible items that can be scanned. It is up to the mom and dad to pick out what colors and brands they like the best.

Usually it takes a few hours to scan items and products. A store will give parents a list of items to put on the list and all people have to do, is go around and scan what they like. It may take some time to pick through the selection of each item. There will be dozens of strollers, baby monitors and high chairs to choose from, making it a process of examining and researching into the style and product information. When items are placed on the registry, they have been put there under careful consideration by the parents of the new baby.

When a shower is being planned, a baby gift registry can make everything easier for the parents and the guests. There are lots of advantages to using a registry list to plan out possible gifts. When parents get exactly what they need for their baby, it can help them plan out for their arrival. Guests can also feel great about buying items that were needed and already picked out by the parents.

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Going Organic: Organic Baby Bedding & Nursery Items

November 26th, 2010

Going organic for you and your baby is growing in popularity. When you make the decision to go organic, it’s making the decision for your child to grow up in a completely natural environment making sure that no unnecessary chemicals are added to your baby’s body. There has been a lot of media attention on the fact that chemicals, pesticides and added hormones can cause growth and development problems in some children. Since that was started in the media, going organic is growing in popularity. Some people wonder where they may be able to find organic baby bedding and other organic baby products and if they’re in amongst the other baby items.

Even though organic products are very popular, they are pricey due to the all natural products and the cost to make these. Even though they are more expensive, parents find that they are very well worth the investment in their child’s health and future. The products last longer than non organic products. There are some people who incorporate organic materials into their nursery, but do not have the funds to completely make an organic nursery.

A suggestion would be to definitely make sure you have organic baby bedding. Since babies sleep for most of the day, spending the money on the baby bedding and possibly a mattress would be your most safe bet. Organic mattresses are made from high quality all natural materials. These may be lambs wool, latex, mohair, coconut fibers and horse tail hair. Traditional mattresses contain harmful chemicals such as flame retardants that is what most people put babies down on to sleep. If you can’t afford an organic mattress, make sure your sheets and mattress pad is.

Did you know, baby furniture is sometimes coated with formaldehyde? Recent findings have found unhealthy levels in many cribs and changing tables, products that babies use the most. Formaldehyde has been linked to asthma, allergies and even cancer. Babies and young children are very vulnerable to harm and contaminants. No one would want to take a chance with my children and such harmful products. This is why everyone believes that organic materials are a must have. Organic cribs are made from sustainable U. S. Forests and their sold in an unfinished state, so that they do not have chemical wood finishes.

The reason why you don’t want your baby wearing or laying on anything made with chemicals, is because a baby’s skin is five times thinner than our skin. Anything you place near or on their skin can quickly get absorbed and may cause adverse medical conditions in the future. Organic materials are free of pesticides and chemicals that can cause those conditions! Almost all non organic fabrics go through a chemical treatment before going to the store where they’re sold.

Organic bedding is important because you don’t want your newborn sleeping on chemicals. Organic cotton is a popular type of bedding material. It varies from conventional cotton since conventional mass merchandised cotton is the most pesticide ridden crop in the U. S. Organic is pure and grown using low impact methods. It also doesn’t hinder the environment and soil that it is in. You can still get the same nice colors and designs for your child’s nursery, except it’s much healthier.

As for organic carpets, you can find rugs made from natural fibers. It’s suggested to primarily use eco-friendly hardwood floors with an organic area rug. Traditional carpets contain many allergies, flame retardants, stain protectors, adhesives and sometimes even pesticides or coatings to deter dust mites and other critters. After hearing that, I’m sure that’s not what you want your child playing and crawling on.

You want the best for yourself, your child and your family and going green and organic is definitely the way to do it. Going organic will actually make yourself and your child feel healthier and feel like you’re doing your part for the environment. You want your home and their nursery to be a safe and happy place. Even though in the past, organic products were difficult to find, they’re now very common in local baby stores, malls or even chain stores

Tags: bedding
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Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25th, 2010

We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and spent some quality time with friends and family. Among many things, OBW is so thankful to have such a wonderful group of loyal customers that truly care about the safety and sustainability of the products they buy. To show our thanks, we’re offering a substantial discount through the weekend. Whether you “celebrate” Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or neither…we invite you to use the coupon code below to receive 40% off of a purchase through this Monday.

Coupon Code: BLACKFRIDAY2010

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Common Childhood Illnesses and How to Deal with Them

November 25th, 2010

Coughs & Colds

Colds are caused by air-borne viruses, not bacteria, so antibiotics can’t be used to help relieve the symptoms. If your child is suffering from a blocked or runny nose, you may need to buy a nasal decongestant or your doctor may prescribe some nose drops, particularly if the cold is hindering your baby’s feeding. Seek advice from your doctor or health visitor if a cold is affecting your child’s breathing. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Irritating coughs often occur with a cold so if your child has a dry cough ask your pharmacist to recommend a soothing linctus that is suitable for children.

Medicines for young children usually come in liquid form and can begiven on a teaspoon. Sit your baby on your knee and hold his hands out of the way as you spoon the medicine into his mouth.

Ear Infections

Problems with a child’s ears often accompany a cold. One of the first signs is it” your baby starts pulling at one of his ears, which might appear red, but he may also just cry a lot and seem generally unwell. Paracetamol syrup will help relieve the pain, but an antibiotic may also be required to clear up any infection, so you will need to consult your doctor for advice. Do not take your child swimming with an ear infection.

Constipation and Diarrhea

If a child is having difficulty passing stools because they are hard, the problem is most likely to be constipation. A change in diet will be necessary. Including more water, fruit, vegetables, and fibre will help solve the problem. If the problem continues to persist, a mild laxative may be required. Consult your health visitor or doctor for advice.

Diarrhea is the frequent passing of loose, watery stools. If a baby is being bottle-fed or being weaned, you should omit one or two milk feeds and solids and offer plenty of clear fluids instead, including an oral rehydration mixture if the loose stools continue. Breast-fed babies can continue their milk feeds as normal.

You should contact your doctor if the diarrhea persists alter a period of 12 hours, or if it is accompanied by vomiting because the baby could become dehydrated.

Teething

The first signs of teething in a young child are often a red area on his check, excessive dribbling, and he starts chewing on his fingers. A teething gel, containing a local anaesthetic, will help to give some relief, but you will need to watch out for any sign of allergic reactions to the gel. These cm include a noticeable reddening or swelling of the gums.

Vomiting

If your baby starts to vomit frequently or violently, and if there is any other sign of illness, you should always contact your doctor immediately as young babies can very quickly become dehydrated if they are sick.

Older children can be sick once or twice without suffering any lasting effect. Give your child plenty of clear thuds to drink and don’t bother about trying to offer him any tempting food until he feels better.

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What Babies Can See and Understand

November 23rd, 2010

Although your baby practised the blinking reflex by opening and closing her eyes while in the womb, the first time she actually uses her eyes for seeing is at the moment of birth. As soon as she is born she is capable of distinguishing objects and most colours, but is only able to focus on items that are 20-30cm/8-l2in away. These things will look fuzzy.

A newborn is very sensitive to bright lights and will blink and screw-up her eyes if a light is shone in her face. Movement will attract a baby from birth and you may notice that yours actively seeks out moving objects. She will probably show a preference for an object which has a highly contrasting pattern rather than one which is just a solid block of colour. As your baby begins to control her eye movements she will start tracking moving objects, which is an indication that her vision is developing well.

Your Baby’s World

At first your face will be of more interest to your child than anything else. It is thought that a baby is born with a simple mental template of the human face and will actively search out and stare at any human face during the first couple of months. When she is first born, whether she is able to recognize you by your individual features is open to debate, but she will certainly know the general shape of your head and hairline and by two months will have started to recognize your features.

Your baby will soon become interested in other things and by six to eight weeks will be concentrating on details, scanning faces and objects so that she can take in as much information as possible. At this age she may find it hard to disengage her attention when she is watching something and she may need you to distract her before she can remove her gaze. But by three to four months the pathways in the brain for voluntary action begin to take over and your baby starts to disengage her attention on her own.

By three months a baby can perceive colours fully, with all their different shades, and will be able to focus at different distances and to see things in 3D. From seven to eight months, as she begins to interpret what she sees, your baby starts to realize that things don’t necessarily cease to exist just because she can’t see them anymore. A toy dropped over the edge of the high chair will be looked tor; she will also enjoy playing “peek-a-boo” because she knows now that you will definitely reappear.

Learning the size and shape of things and understanding that something that looks small at a distance is in tact bigger close up takes some time for a baby to understand. She will also have to learn that a toy stays the same shape even when it appears different when looked at from the side, top, or bottom.

It will take your baby around two years to have good vision and to be able to see almost as clearly as an adult does. Her vision will continue to develop until she is four to five years of age.

A Baby Squint

Many babies are born with what may appear to be a slight squint and this often remains until they have learned to control the muscles around the eyes. It is quite difficult for a baby to hold both eyes in line with each other to focus on an object, and you may notice that when your baby stares at you one of her eyes wanders out of focus. A wandering eye usually rights itself by the time a baby reaches three to four months of age, but you should always point it out to your doctor or health visitor as it may be necessary for your child’s eyes to be checked thoroughly by an orthoptist.

A real squint is when the eyes never focus together on an object and, rather than moving together and then one wandering off, they are often out of alignment with each other. A squint needs to be treated from an early age so you must talk to your doctor as soon as you notice it in your child.

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Parenting Tips – Smart Ways to Avoid Information Overload

November 16th, 2010

The double lines, the call from the doctor: no matter the source that confirms you’re pregnant, the initial rush is exciting and a little terrifying. And shortly afterward, overwhelming and confusing. Everyone has an opinion, it seems, and most of them have written those down and peddled them as The Definitive Guide to Your Pregnancy, The Last Word on Getting through Your Pregnancy, or something equally imposing and not the least bit reassuring. Here, a few tips on navigating the vast sea of all things baby.

Keep It Simple

You’ve told your partner, maybe you’ve told your mom and a few close friends. Or maybe you want to consult a book or two on how and when to tell your mom and your friends. Regardless of your question or issue, you’ll find exhaustive amounts of information—from the general to the specific, the scientific to the anecdotal, and then some.

Melissa Murphy, who’s expecting her first baby this November, says, “Eventually I just had to stop looking at the websites altogether because they were freaking me out.” How to get through this glut of information and find the nuggets that will be useful to you? One good way is to approach those mountains of facts and opinions the same way you’d start to plan a wedding: by determining your style.

If you’re reassured by the world of medicine for its hard facts and study results, head straight for the Mayo Clinic’s website. Prefer a conversational but well-informed style? Pick up a magazine devoted to everything prenatal. And Sex and the City-style girls who want their info shot straight from the designer jean-clad hip should shell out for the Girlfriends’ Guide to Pregnancy (or one of its many clones). Or simply check out all of them and whittle down to what suits you. You’ll quickly find a few points that many sources have in common. In the end, aim to keep it simple, because too much information can be debilitating and possibly even harmful if it gets in the way of your much-needed—and soon-to-be dramatically reduced—sleep.

Listen to Your Instincts

This certainly can be tricky, but it gets easier with each passing week. If you’ve heard all your life that vodka gimlets during pregnancy might not be the best idea, but all of a sudden your friends are swearing they know French women who drank Chardonnay on the way into the delivery room, it’s okay to pause and listen to what your intuition is telling you. And even if your initial reaction to such opinions is not exactly shock and horror, but still a gnawing feeling that your sources of otherwise sound advice might be short of the mark on this – trust that!

As Dr. Susan Mistier, a clinical psychologist, notes, “It is so important to embrace this as a continuous learning process, expect the unexpected, and remember to listen to your gut (your own sense of what is the right thing to do for your baby, rather than just what the books say).” Those French women probably ate Brie throughout the full nine months too, but you’re the one who has to live with this pregnancy, and this child, for the rest of your life. You’re entitled—actually required—to make your own decisions about his or her health and best interests from the get-go.

Listen to Your Body

Probably the most helpful information you’ll get will come from a very close source—your own body. Your doctor may tell you that caffeine is okay, but now even hearing yourself order your usual Java chip latte turns you a little green. And you’ll probably get the go-ahead to continue your pre-pregnancy exercise regimen, but 20 steps on the treadmill leaves you huffing and puffing. This is your body talking, and it’s your job to listen and act accordingly.

Just as you don’t want to overload on all the things that could go wrong during your pregnancy—you don’t need to read every book, blog, and forum—the same goes for listening to the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signals your body is sending you. If the food smells strange, don’t eat it; if the exercise hurts, don’t do it; if the advice sounds suspicious, definitely don’t listen to it.

Trusting yourself so completely can be a little daunting, and for most moms-to-be it’ll take some time getting used to. Consider these nine months good practice for the approaching time when you’ll no longer be the only one relying on your good judgment.

Tags: pregnancy
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Varicose Veins During Pregnancy

November 9th, 2010

According to medical reports, around 30% of pregnant women suffer from varicose veins. Pregnant women in their second trimester, that is, approaching the 6th month of pregnancy, may find the veins in their legs bulge and may become tortuous. It not only affects their appearance, but also causes physical discomfort.

A pregnant woman may find her legs swell and ache after prolonged standing and walking, due to pooling of blood in the leg veins. The condition usually improves after pregnancy; however, if the structure of the leg veins has been damaged during this process, varicose veins will appear.

Varicose veins result from the malfunctioning of valves inside the veins. These valves normally ensure blood flows in the upward direction only; however blood flows reversely when the valves are damaged. With the blood pooling in the legs due to gravity, such reverse of blood flow results in increasing pressure in the veins causing them to bulge and become varicosed.

Varicose veins are frequently seen in women during pregnancy as the growth of the baby and uterus during pregnancy compress the veins in the pelvis and lower abdomen resulting in increased venous pressure that may damage the vein valves permanently. Varicose vein will develop when the vein valves cannot function properly.

Preventing Varicose Veins During Pregnancy

Pregnant women can wear graduate compression stockings upon medical advice. Adequate rest may avoid any worsening of varicose veins and prolonged standing should be avoided. Appropriate exercises such as regular walking, leg lifting and massage can help the blood flow back to the heart. They should seek proper medical advice in case of worsening symptoms like skin itchiness and pain.

Therapy After Delivery

Although most of the dilated veins during pregnancy will naturally resolve after delivery, there may be some cases where permanent damage of the valves within the veins has occurred. Detailed examination and therapy are necessary if the legs continue to ache and veins still bulge.

In the past, open surgery was the only treatment for varicose veins. It involves making two cuts of several centimeters at the groin and around the knee. The varicose vein is then tied off where it meets the deeper veins and then is stripped out. This inevitably causes significant pain and leaves unsightly scars. The operation is usually done under general anesthesia, and recovery may take at least a few weeks. Nowadays, minimally invasive endovenous treatment for varicose veins has comparable effectiveness as open surgery – but with the advantages of smaller wound, less pain, faster recovery and better cosmetic outcome. They can be done under local anesthesia with or without sedation, in the form of day surgery. Disturbance to daily life can be minimal. Endovenous ablation of varicose veins with radiofrequency or laser energy and ultrasound guided sclerotherapy are the two commonly adopted treatments, which are especially effective in treating varicose veins at their early stage.

Endovenous ablation refers to removing the abnormal vein by applying radiofrequency or laser energy inside the vein to destroy it. The radiofrequency or laser fibre is introduced into the vein through a needle hole, whereas ultrasound guided sclerotherapy involves injection of medication into the lumen of the abnormal vein to collapse the varicose vein. Both procedures are guided by ultrasound in a very precise manner.

Varicose veins always worsen in subsequent pregnancies, usually with more severe symptoms. Therefore, a detail examination should be conducted should the bulging and dilated veins persist after delivery.

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